1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to apparatus and methods in which a portable terminal carried by a user, and a plurality of printers located in various areas, are linked by a network so as to communicate with one another, and data according to a data-printing request is output to any one of the printers when the data-printing request is received from the portable terminal. In particular, the invention relates to a data-output-control apparatus and a data-output-service providing method which enable detailed information on a network to be easily obtained, and which are suitable for eliminating the need for increasing the memory of a portable terminal and for reducing a processing load on the portable terminal.
2. Description of the Related Art
Recently, information on the Internet can be easily obtained anywhere by using, for example, the i-mode (registered trademark) provided by NTT Mobile Communications Network, Inc. (NTT DoCoMo).
Although a portable terminal of the above type can easily obtain information on the Internet anywhere, displayed information is greatly simplified compared with that displayed by an ordinary personal computer, since a display has a simplified structure for the purpose of size reduction and power saving of the portable terminal, so that a use is not satisfied with the displayed information.
Accordingly, in order to obtain detailed information while maintaining size reduction and power saving of the portable terminal, a structure can be provided which combines a portable terminal and a printer, wherein outline information is displayed by the portable terminal and detailed information is displayed by the printer. However, in combining the portable terminal and the printer, there are some problems that must be technically solved.
For example, it is difficult to carry the printer together with the portable terminal since the printer is large in size. Accordingly, to print the detailed information, it is possible that printers installed in homes and offices be ordinarily used. Nevertheless, in a case in which a particular fixed printer is used, information cannot be easily obtained anywhere. To realize this, it is necessary to reduce the size of the printer so as to be carried, or to enable the use of an arbitrary printer. It is extremely difficult to technically achieve the former case with presently available technology, and the former case is not realistic. In the latter case, each printer needs its own driver, and drivers for all printers to be used must be installed in the portable terminal, so that the latter case is also not realistic.
In addition, in the case of displaying detailed information by a printer, it is possible that a portable terminal reads print data to be printed, and converts the read print data into data printable by the printer before outputting the read print data. In this case, the print data and the data printable by the printer require relatively large capacity, so that memory having sufficient capacity for reading and generating the data must be provided in the portable terminal. Also, conversion into the data printable by the printer relatively causes a processing load, so that the portable terminal must be provided with a processor having a sufficient function of converting data within an effective time. Both cases not only require costs but also make it difficult to achieve size reduction and power saving of the portable terminal.
Accordingly, the present invention overcomes the above problems with the conventional technology, and an object thereof is to provide a data-output-control apparatus and a data-output-service providing method which enable detailed information on a network to be easily obtained, and which are suitable for eliminating the need for increasing the memory of a portable terminal and for reducing a processing load on the portable terminal.
To achieve the foregoing object, a data-output-control apparatus in accordance with the present invention is a data-output-control apparatus for linking, so as to communicate with, a communication terminal, which transmits a data-output request, and an output terminal, which outputs data. The data-output-control apparatus receives the data-output request from the communication terminal and outputs data according to the data-output request to the output terminal. The data-output-control apparatus further links so as to communicate with a data-storage terminal to store data, and the data according to the data-output request is acquired from the data-storage terminal and the acquired data is output to the output terminal.
In this structure, when a data-printing request is received from a communication terminal, data according to the data-output request is acquired from a data-storage terminal, and the acquired data is output to an output terminal. Next, the data is output by the output terminal.
Here, the output terminal may have any structure if it can output data, and includes, for example, a display that displays data, a sound-output device that outputs data as sound, etc., and a printer that prints data. This applies to a data-output-control apparatus as set forth above and below.
Also, the communication terminal may have any structure if it has at least a function of communicating with the apparatus, and includes, for example, a portable terminal which can be carried, such as a portable telephone, a personal computer, or a telephone. This applies to a data-output-control apparatus as set forth above and below.
A data-output-control apparatus in accordance with another aspect of the present invention is data-output-control apparatus for linking, so as to communicate with, a communication terminal, which transmits a data-output request, and a plurality of output terminals, which output data. The data-output-control apparatus receives the data-output request from the communication terminal and outputs data according to the data-output request to the output terminals. From among the plurality of output terminals, any one is selected, and the data according to the data-output request is output to the selected output terminal.
In this structure, when a data-printing request is received, any one of a plurality of output terminals is selected, and data according to the data-output request is output to the selected output terminal. The data is output by the output terminal.
Here, to select an output terminal, from among a plurality of output terminals, for example, an output terminal designated by a portable terminal may be selected, and an output terminal which is considered closest in distance or time when the position of the portable terminal is used as a reference may be selected.
Also, the data according to the data-printing request may be obtained by receiving it from, for example, a communication terminal, and may be acquired from a place other than the apparatus and the communication terminal. In the latter case, more specifically, the following structure is provided. That is, it includes an acquiring device which links by a network so as to communicate with a data-storage terminal that stores data and which acquires data according to the data-printing request, and outputs the data acquired by the acquiring device to a selected output terminal.
In this structure, when a data-printing request is received from a communication terminal, data according to the data-printing request is acquired from an acquiring device, and the acquired data is output to a selected output terminal.
According to the data-output-control apparatus in accordance with the present invention, concerning outputting detailed information on a network, processing on the output of data is performed in a place other than a communication terminal. Thus, increase of memory in the communication terminal is unnecessary, and a processing load on the communication terminal is reduced. Since it is not necessary to load data into the communication terminal, communication time is reduced, and the time required to receive provision of output data decreases. Therefore, an advantage is obtained in that a service provider can provide a user with an output service establishing a comfortable output environment irrespective of the function of the communication terminal.
According to the data-output-control apparatus in accordance with another aspect of the present invention, compared with a conventional case, detailed information on a network can be easily obtained. Therefore, an advantage is obtained in that a service provider can provide a user with an information service from which a feeling of great satisfaction is obtained.
According to the data-output-control apparatuses in accordance with other aspects of the invention, compared with a conventional case, detailed information on a network can be easily obtained, and when detailed information is printed, processing on the output of data is performed in a place other than a communication terminal, so that increase of memory in the communication terminal is unnecessary, and a processing load on the communication terminal is reduced. Also, since it is not necessary to load data into the communication terminal, communication time is reduced, and the time required to receive provision of output data decreases. Therefore, an advantage is obtained in that to a user, a service provider can provide an information service from which a feeling of great satisfaction is obtained and can provide an output service establishing a comfortable output environment irrespective of the function of the communication terminal.
According to the data-output-control apparatus in accordance with another aspect of the present invention, a user is allowed to easily receive provision of output data, so that the user can easily obtain detailed information on a network. Therefore, an advantage is obtained in that a service provider can provide a user with an information service from which a feeling of much great satisfaction is obtained.
According to the data-output-control apparatus in accordance with another aspect of the present invention, detailed information in all data-storage terminals linked to a network can be obtained. Therefore, an advantage is obtained in that a service provider can provide a user with an information service from which a feeling of much great satisfaction is obtained.
According to the data-output-control apparatus in accordance with another aspect of the present invention, a portable terminal displays outline information and an output terminal prints detailed information, so that a portable terminal can obtain detailed information on a network and comfortable processing is realized. Therefore, an advantage is obtained in that to a user, a service provider can provide an information service from which a feeling of much great satisfaction is obtained and can provide a printing service establishing a much comfortable printing environment.
According to the data-output-control apparatus in accordance with another aspect of the present invention, printing by a user of wrong data can be prevented. Therefore, an advantage is also obtained in that a service provider can provide a user with an information service from which a feeling of much great satisfaction is obtained.
According to the data-output-control apparatus in accordance with another aspect of the present invention, a service charge, as a cost for provision of a printing service, can be clearly calculated, and it is not necessary to fully calculate a service charge whenever a printing service is provided. Therefore, an advantage is also obtained in that a service provider has a facilitated business procedure for settlement of the service charge and can provide an information service from which a feeling of much great satisfaction is obtained since a clear service charge can be shown to a user.
According to the data-output-control apparatus in accordance with another aspect of the present invention, if a new output terminal is provided, a service provider side simply needs to change only the setting of the new output terminal, and the new output terminal can be used without changing any setting by the service provider side. Therefore, an advantage is obtained in that the service provider side has a facilitated operation concerning additional provision of an output terminal, and can provide a user with an information from which a feeling of much great satisfaction is obtained.
According to the data-output-control apparatus in accordance with another aspect of the present invention, a user can go, in accordance with guidance information, to an installation place where an output terminal is installed. Therefore, an advantage is obtained in that a service provider can provide a user with an information service from which a feeling of much great satisfaction is obtained.
In addition, according to the data-output-service providing method of the present invention, detailed information on a network can be easily obtained, and when detailed information is printed, processing on the output of data is performed in a place other than a communication terminal, so that increase of memory in the communication terminal is unnecessary, and a processing load on the communication terminal is reduced. Also, since it is not necessary to load data into the communication terminal, communication time is reduced, and the time required to receive provision of output data decreases. Therefore, an advantage is obtained in that to a user, a service provider can provide an information service from which a feeling of great satisfaction is obtained and can provide an output service establishing a comfortable output environment irrespective of the function of the communication terminal.
According to the data-output-service providing method in accordance with the present invention, a user is allowed to easily receive provision of output data, so that the user can easily obtain detailed information on a network. Therefore, an advantage is obtained in that a service provider can provide a user with an information service from which a feeling of much great satisfaction is obtained.